end-of-summer blues

....my last adventure of summer 2012

Every August, myself, my brother, and a group of close friends travel to Blue Ridge, Georgia to spend a few nights in a luxury wood cabin over-looking the mountains. Although each year has been filled with unforgettable memories, this one may possibly take the cake. Justin, my good friend and the planner of it all, booked the biggest cabin for our trip this year. It lived up to my expectations and more.

        above photo taken by Justin DeMutiis

 

The view from the back patio was incredible. I am sitting here typing, then deleting, typing again, deleting once more, trying to convey to you all just how breathtaking it was. I think it might be better to let the photos speak for themselves. Keep in mind that these are very minimally, if at all, edited to preserve just how naturally beautiful Blue Ridge is.

If I could choose a moment to go back to, I would be standing on a beautiful deck in the cool, calm air, admiring the sun set over the mountains on our last night. It wasn't an ordinary sunset, and it actually wasn't our deck either. While driving back from hiking, Justin and I stopped at the peak of a road close to our cabin to capture a shot I've been wanting to get from day one. He pulled into the nearest driveway, and instead of standing in the middle of the road like I thought we were going to do, he decided to walk up the driveway a bit to see if we could get a better view. It just so happened that the owners of this beautifully landscaped, perfectly located cabin were sitting outside, and so generously invited us to watch the sunset from their deck. It turned out that they have the best view in the mountains. The older gentleman was so kind and inviting. We talked about the changing of the seasons and enjoyed each others company while the sun began to sink behind the tips of the blue mountains. It was a view, a feeling, and a moment I will not soon forget. Not only because I have these photos to gaze at whenever I please, but because it was just that beautiful.

Justin didn't bring his camera, but I asked if he would take some photos with my camera because I wanted to make sure this was captured perfectly. He took the first three. Aren't they awesome? I love how the sun is peeking through the leaves of the tree. I did take a few myself, however, such as the last photo. The kind gentleman warned us that once the sun begins to reach the mountain top, it sets quickly. He was right on point.

I had a really enjoyable time hiking this trail, as I think everyone else did too. It followed the river, which eventually led to a couple of waterfalls. Fallen trees completely covered in bright green moss, huge boulders, a hidden waterfall.... It was wonderful.

      above photo taken by Justin DeMutiis

        above photo taken by Justin DeMutiis

 

       above photo taken by Justin DeMutiis
Hiking back we encountered what looked to be a Black Bear footprint! We also came across all of these stacked stones, which I loved!

On the drive back to the cabin, we stopped along the mountainside to get a shot of this amazing view.

******

This was a perfect way to end my last days of summer. Hope you all enjoyed yours as well :)